Liam Kennedy has been speaking on a recent edition of NUFC Matters with Steve Wraith about all things Newcastle United.
One topic which the Shields Gazette reporter spent some time on was future of Steve Bruce in the event the proposed takeover of Newcastle eventually goes through.
The bid from PCP Capital Partners, PIF and the Reuben brothers was withdrawn in July with the Premier League yet to make a decision on it.
The consortium then tried again, only to be unsuccessful once again.
Mike Ashley has since appointed two lawyers to force this through, and that was essentially the last thing we heard until earlier this week, when it was revealed that two Newcastle fans had launched a legal challenge against the Premier League.
Crucially, this challenge has the backing of Mike Ashley, and it will be interesting to see what happens with it.
This piece of news led Kennedy to discuss the future of Bruce, and it seems as if he thinks that the Toon’s boss would be replaced if this takeover happens, and Bruce knows that will likely be his fate if it does get rubber-stamped in the future.
He said: “I don’t think Steve Bruce is daft, and I think [he] knows that were this takeover to go through, that he wouldn’t be the first choice of manager.
“Somebody isn’t going to spend that kind of money on a football club and then employ a Championship manager.
“So, I think he knows the writing is on the wall if this goes through, and I think he knows that things are ticking over.”
Do you think Bruce will last long if the takeover goes through?
No, he will be gone
Yes, he will get until the end of the season
TIF Thoughts on Kennedy’s view on Bruce’s future…
Kennedy calls Bruce a ‘Championship manager‘, which, if you look at the number of games he has taken charge of in the Premier League (437), that could be considered unfair.
However, if you look at his record in the Premier League and the fact that he has been relegated from the top flight twice, then maybe it isn’t so harsh.
Meanwhile, considering that when the takeover talk ramped up earlier in the year, the likes of Rafael Benitez and Mauricio Pochettino were linked with the Toon job, so you could understand why Bruce might not last long if the takeover happens.
For now, though, he remains in charge and must prepare his side for the visit of Everton on Sunday.